| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Norway Bluff (T8/T9 R9 WELS) , ME |
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 | Trails: |
Norway Bluff Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, June 20, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The guidebook directions were accurate except for the fact that there was no sign for Norway Bluff. We also drove in Pinkham Rd from Portage Lake rather than drive through Ashland which saves 5-10min. The parking area is obvious enough if you're looking for it or have a waypoint at 4.1mi from the last turn on your GPS, haha. Needless to say, we were the only ones there. While the peaks we did on this day involved WAYYY more driving on dirt roads than I ever did when working on the NH500 Highest up in northern NH, the roads are in MUCH better condition. They are private logging roads that re well taken care of. Expect the main ones to be very wide and, each turn from there generally speaking, the roads will get narrower and narrower. That being said, even by the time we got onto the grassy centerline type of roads, the centerline wasn't really raised and they were in good shape with few exceptions. Low clearance should be okay; just watch out for the potholes. $18/person for non-ME residents ($13 for residents) for day-use fee. $110 for season pass, and $15 on top of day-use fee for camping. Day-use free for those under 18 and over 70 and camping free for those under 18. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No signs (other than the "No Motorized Vehicles Beyond This Point" one the guidebook mentions of course, lol), and none of the cairns or flagging the guidebook mentions either as far as I recall. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
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 | Bugs: |
If memory serves correctly, they actually weren't too bad this day but we still carried and sometimes used bug spray. Ticks, while still not common up here, are making there way further and further north in Maine. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
1st hike of the day. This day's goal was to hike Norway Bluff, Round Mtn, Rocky Brook/Horseshoe Mtn, and Round Pond Mtn. We started with Norway Bluff as it was the first one off of Realty Rd but also a VERY long drive on secondary roads to get to it. Though listed as "Norway Bluff Trail" in the guidebook, it's really just a route up an old road. Personally, Crocamole and I would describe the grade of the old road as more steep than moderate until it reached the "No Motorized Vehicles Beyond This Point" sign. Hard to imagine ATVs coming down it. It was also terribly eroded which made for a less than pleasant descent. Just after the "Not Motorized Vehicles Beyond This Point" sign, there road becomes grassy and there's a split in it that the guidebook does not mention. We were tempted to bear left here as it seemed better travelled and like it ascended whereas to the right looked even grassier and like it descended though it was headed more in the correct direction. We went right and that was the correct choice; if you look REAL closely, it does actually show signs of more travel than the road to the left. That being said, it does become incredibly overgrown, and, with it being very wet from recent rain and with us being totally socked in, made for a "soaking" experience. No view from the top with the clouds which was unfortunate since who knows if I'll ever be 40mi down this particular set of dirt roads from a town in the middle of nowhere in northern Maine again..oh no wait, there's some 2000 footers here, I definitely will, HA!!! Gaia had us at 2mi, 650ft of gain. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney and Crocamole |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-07-02 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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